Last updated: February 06, 2011

Useful File Utilities

   2. How to replace text in files.

Current tutorial shows how to replace text string in several files.

Sometimes we need to make an updates in several documents or in project files. For example each html document have the "last updated" date and our task is change this date to a new in all files. So we launch Useful File Utilities and perform the following steps:

1) Firstly, we need to open the directory where files we want to update have places.

2) Then we need to select them. That's can be done by using right button of the mouse or pressing direction buttons and SPACE. The selected files will be printed in red color.

3) On the current step we need to choose "Replacer" mode by pressing to the "Replacer" button on the top of the program.

4) "Replacer" utility allows us to find string which contain old date and replace it to the string with new date. For performing such task we need to select "Replace with" option. Then type old date "Last updated: June 30, 2010" in the "Find text below" field and type a new date "Last updated: March 28, 2011" in the "Replace/Insert text below" field.

5) "Start Replace" button will be in green after steps above and that's a signal that operation can be performed. So we just press to the "Start Replace" button.

6) An opened "Find and Replace string" window shows us the result of the operation. "Operation completed!" message gives us a signal that replacement has been finished. Main window of the program will be shown after closing the "Find and Replace string" window. Please note that program will create reserved copy of original files. These files have bak extension.

7)Other useful thing of the program is that it allows to select files according to the result of the operation. There is a possibility to select files with successful result, files with failed result and files which stay unchanged. For doing that you need to select appropriate item in the "Mark" menu. Our goal is to select files which have been changed during operation. That's why we choose an option "Select Successfull".

8)On the current screen we can see that files have been selected. They are in red color. Of course we are able to select files which stay unchanged. That allows us to select files without text string which have been replaced.

That's all.